Ore-concentrator.



No. 690,3ol. y Patented Da. 3|, 19m.v

' n; n. LEE.

URE GUNCENTBATUR.

(Appumion'nxed Apr. n, 1901.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

W/TNESSES: /NVENTOH A 77'0HNE Y S N0. 690,30l. Patented D80. 3|, |90I.

- Ryn. LEE. l A

DRE CUNCENTRATUB. (Application led Apr. 11, 1901.) (llo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/TNESSES: /N VE N 70H A 77'0HNEYS r: Nonms Fermi co. mofauwa. wAsHmoYoN n c UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD ROWE LEE, OF PINOS ALTOS," TERRITORY OF NEVI MEXICO.4

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' `Letters Patent N o. 690,301, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed April l1l 1901. Serial No. 55,332. (No model.)

To` @ZZ whom, it m/a/y concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD RowE LEE, of Pinos Altos, in the county of Grant and Territory of New Mexico, have linvented a new and useful Improvement iin Ore-Concentrators, of which the-followingy is a specification.

My'invention relates to ore-concentrators of that form in which a circular pan is provided with a central revolving vertical shaft bearing'- radial arms which carry scrubbingbrushes that travel upon the bottom of the pan; and it Yconsists in the special construction and arrangement of the parts'which I will first describe with reference to the drawings and then point out in the claims. l

Figure 1 is a perspective View looking down into the concentrator. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section, and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing means for raising or adjusting vertically the scrubbing-brushes.

In the drawings, A represents a suitable stand having an upright framework B mounted thereon. The stand A has within it the large basin or pan ct. Centrally in this pan is arranged a vertical shaft C, having either a band-pulley D or gear-wheels by which it is.

rotated. This shaft has four radial arms n, which are flexibly connected to brushes lm, which as the arms revolve drag around upon and rub the concentrates upon the bottom of the pan. The shaft C has rigidly attached to it, a little distance above the pan, a cup or bowl e,to which the radial armsn are attached, and to this bowl are hinged at theirinner ends a series of four radial troughs f, the bowl having at such points openings e2, that communicate with the inner ends of the troughs. The outer ends of these troughs extend to the outer periphery of the pan ct and into a groove g, formed at the upper edge in the outer wall of said pan.

Upon the stand A is erected at one side a receiving-box b, having a detachable screen s and a bottom o, of copper, and also a copperlined trough d, that leads to and discharges into the central bowl e. Within the bowl there is a stationary skimmer or stirrer p, attached to the lower end of a vertical rod p', fixed to the framework B.

In the conical portion of the pan a, in central position, is an overflow-dam J, constructed in circular form and fixed tightly to the bottom of the pan. This dam rises some distance'above the level of the bottom of the pan and is perforated with holes through which the tailings and waterflow off to the interior of said dam, which interior'opens into a subjacent discharge-trough Z. u

The lower end of the shaft C turns loosely in' a `spider-frame t, fixed in the top of fthe darn J, which forms the bearing for the lower end of saidshaft. Y

In order to permit the brushes m to be adjusted vertically or lifted when cleaning out,

(see Fig.A 3,).the chains of said brushes are attached'to and wound upon small Windlasses arms n. To permit the troughs f to be gotten out of the way in cleaning out the pan, they are turned upwardly upon their inner hinged ends, the nearest troughf in Fig. 1 being so shown as turned up.` The inner ends of the troughs fand arms n, it will be seen, are attached to the bowl e and lie practically in the same horizontal plane,

In the operation of my concentrator the pulverized ore, with a suitable amount of water, is fed upon the 'screen s and passes onto the amalgamated copper plates in the bottom of the box b and the trough d, the mercury on which catches a portion of the gold and silver. Thence the ore passes to the bowl e gnto a surface of mercury, which catches other porti-ons of precious metals, the. mercury being kept clean and alive by the constant skim min gaand stirring action which the stationary piece 1o affords as the bowl rotates beneath it. Thence the ore and Water pass down the troughs f to the peripheral groove g in the pan, whence it slowly trickles in thin sheets evenly over the bottom of the pan and under the action of the scrubbing-brushes m. The heavy metals gravitate to the bottom of the pan near the center, while the lighter tailings, with the water, iiow off through the holes in the dam J to the tailings-trough below. Any number of these holes in the dam J may be plugged up from the bottom to cause the water-level of the overflow to be higher or lower, as may be desired.

The bottom and sides of the pan a are to be made of wood.

In pointing out more clearly the distinctive vw w, fixed to a crank-shaft which crankl shaft is journaled in hangers fromv the radial IOO ' features of my invention I would state that I am aware that the liquid mixtureof ore and water has been carried from a central bowl to the outer periphery of the pan by troughs that are hinged at or near the middle of their length. Such location of hinge-joint is liable to become obstructed V.by thefore, so as to clog and become inoperative, and I therefore make 'the trough rigid from end to end and hingev its inner end directly to the bowl, so that while it may be lifted out of the way it never becomesclogged at the joint. I also attach the radial troughs fa'nd Yradial arms n, carrying the brushes, to the centrali bowl all; in surbstantially the same horizontal plane, thus securing greater simplicity, more open space or clearancein th-e pan below,and amuchsmaller with the pan, the vertical central rotating shaft having a rigidly-attached? bowl wi th troughs radiating therefrom as described, a trough for discharging the ore into the said bowl, and a vertical rod secured stationary in the framework parallel to the central shaft and having at vits lower-end yanddippinginto the bowl a skimming and stirring blade act- Ling upon the surface of the mercury to keep itelean to receive the contact of the stream 'otore falling from the trough substantially :as described.

` 3L In an ore-'concentration the combination fof a-Ipanghavingaperipheral groove g at the top and a conical bottom with a central perforated dam ris-in gtheref rom and a step-bearing on topof the same,fa1vertical shaftimounted thereon and having-a-rigidlyeattach'ed bowl attached thereto, two sets 4otf radial farm-sn art-v. tached to the b'owli inf the :sainehorizontal plane, one set being providedwith'dragging and rubbing devices; and fthe. alternate setbejing. constructedas -troughsrigidlifrom Aend to endbut hinged to thecentralbcwl;avertica-l rod fixed inthe frameworkparallel:tol the shaft and bearing onits lower endfa-stirring and skimming blade. enteringfthe: bowl, ,and a feed-troughdischargingfi nte saidfbow-l substantially as vshown :and id escribed.

RIGHARDl ROVWE LEE; Witnesses:

JoHNfW. GAssIDY, JOHN McENNIs. 

